mental-health/anxiety

I forgot what it feels like to not be tired

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I'm 24 and my battery only charges to twenty percent now, no matter how much I sleep. Sunday nights my jaw locks up. I typed 'is being this exhausted normal' into a chatbot at midnight because asking a real person felt like admitting I was failing.

Last updated: July 2026

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What this can feel like

I'm 24 and I think I forgot what it feels like to not be tired. Not sleepy-tired, more like my battery only charges to twenty percent now no matter what I do. I work at a startup and I used to be the person who cared too much, and now I just move tasks around a screen and feel nothing about any of them. Sunday nights my jaw locks up on its own. A couple weeks ago I opened a chatbot at midnight and typed 'is being this exhausted all the time normal or is something wrong with me,' because asking a real person felt like admitting I was failing at the one thing I'm supposed to be good at. It said it sounded like burnout, maybe some anxiety, and that I could talk to someone. I kind of laughed, because I age off my parents' insurance in a few months, I don't have a therapist or even a regular doctor, and I don't know where you'd even go. So I closed the laptop and went to bed and did the exact same thing the next night. I keep almost telling my roommate and then turning it into a joke instead.

What's a first step I can take?

ask how many weeks the twenty-percent feeling has lasted ask what a normal day used to feel like by comparison

Common questions

They overlap a lot, and you don't need to sort out the exact label to deserve support. Exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix, going numb, and dreading the week are worth talking through with someone, whatever it turns out to be.

Aging off a parent's plan at 26 doesn't leave you with nothing. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income, some jobs have a free EAP with a few counseling sessions, and free warmlines let you talk to someone today.

It's one of the most common first steps now, a screen can feel safer than a face. The useful part is letting it point you toward a person who can actually help.

Related

Say it back

How would you explain this to someone you love?

Two or three sentences, just as you’d say it. Gale reflects back what you focused on — a mirror, not a quiz.

If things feel heavy, a person is available anytime — call or text 988.

Talk to a clinician

Gale can help you find a clinician in your state and request a visit.

Find care →

When to reach out sooner

  • —exhaustion or numbness most days for several weeks
  • —not able to keep up with work or basic daily tasks
  • —leaning on alcohol or other substances to cope
  • —any thoughts that you'd be better off gone

If you ever have thoughts of not wanting to be here, you deserve support now. Call or text 988 — the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and 24/7. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.

This is general information, not medical advice or a diagnosis.

References

  1. 1. (2010). Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry. PMID 21092275Self-reliance and stigma are leading barriers to young-adult help-seeking.

1 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — citations link their sources. Editorial policy

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